EC considers 'prosecuting' 75,000 multiply registered voters

July 26, 2016

The Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) has announced plans to prosecute over 75,000 voters who engaged in double or multiple registrations.
These voters have an option of either defending themselves in court or being denied their franchise in the 2016 elections and beyond.
These were made known by the deputy Director of Elections at the Commission, Yussif Alhassan Ayuba, on Onua FM on Tuesday, July 26.
He was answering questions on the ongoing exhibition exercise, which began on July 18 and scheduled to end on August 7.
Mr Ayuba said sanctions will be meted out to the registrants who will be found culpable after the exhibition.
He revealed that aside a person standing trial for either a fine of 500 penalty units or two years imprisonment or both, depending on the level of the crime, they could be denied their franchise for a period of at least 5 years.
“When we identify double or multiple registrants, we process the list to the Attorney General who begins the process of prosecuting such culprits in court,” he said.
“The law does not mandate us to prosecute but mandates the Commission to deny such persons their right to vote so long as their names remain among the multiple registration lists for a period of five years.”
Although the Commission cannot tell how many people have been prosecuted over the years, the deputy elections director attested that “a multiple registrant has been jailed eight years in prison since the 2012 general elections”.
He therefore urged all potential voters to participate in the ongoing exhibition to enable them make the necessary changes ahead of the December 7 elections.By Nhyiraba Akomapa Aggrey|Onua FM|3news.com|GhanaTwitter: @3Newsgh